Hot top



ug 8,1933-Y w.-M. CHARMAN- Er AL HQT TOP Filed Jari. 24, 1951 fa fgl Patented Aug. s, 1933 y 1,921,731

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOT TOP Walter M. Charman, Cleveland Heights, and Harry J. Darlington, Youngstown, Ohio; said Darlington assignor to said Charman Application January 24, 1931. Serial No. 510,922

11 Claims. (Cl. 22-147) This invention relates to improvements in hot we form sockets 15, opening downward, into tops, particularly improvements over the conwhich plugs 16 may be driven. These plugs are structions covered'by our patents No. 1,804,204, of some material which will be charred or deand No. 1,804,207, dated May 5, 1931. stroyed by the heat of the molten metal at each The present invention has to do primarily with pouring operation. Wehave found that wood 60 means for temporarily supporting a lower lining is a suitable material for this purpose. element, and with means for establishing a cleav- Prior to each pouring operation the entire age surface between the lower end of the hot inner and lower surface of the hot top, that is the top casing and the lower lining element, it being blocks 14 and the ledge 12, may be covered with intended that said lower lining element shall a comparatively thin layer of parting material v65 adhere to the ingot when the hot top is stripped 17 preferably in the form of a plastic coating. therefrom. The operator then places an annular lower lining One of the objects of the invention therefore element 18 over the lower end of the hot top is the provision, in a hot top embodying a metalcasing and drives nails or other headed fastenlic casing, of a plug set intoa downwardly openings 19 into the plugs 16, thereby securely hold- 70 ing hole in the casing for the reception of a ing the lining element 18 onto the hot top in a headed fastening, by means of which the plug temporary manner. This lining element is exis caused to retain the lining until the plug fails tended beyond the outer surface of the ledge 12 by the action of the heat from the molten metal. and hot top casing and is adapted to contact with 20 Instead of employing a separate headed fastenthe inner wall of the ingot mold and to wipe the 75 ing we may in some cases provide a headed prolatter as the hot top is lowered into the mold, jection upon the plug itself. thereby preventing the iiow of molten metal up- Another object is the provision of means for wardly around the exterior wall of the hot top. establishing a cleavage surface between the The latter feature of the construction is however metallic casing and a lower lining element, parcovered by our Patent No. 1,804,207, dated May 80 ticularly where the latter element is sheet metal. 5, 1931.

Other objects and features of novelty will ap- In the form of the invention illustrated in pear as we proceed with the description of those Fig. 2, the Casing 20 iS plOVided With an integral embodiments of the invention which, for the internal ledge 21 having therein dOWnWaIdly purposes of the present application, we have illus- Opening holes 22 for the reception of plugs 23 85 trated in the accompanying drawing, in which into which headed fastenings 24 may be driven Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through in order to retain an annular lining element 25. a hot top and a fragment of an ingot mold, i11us In this form of the invention the lower ends of trating one embodiment of the invention. the upper lining blocks 26 are rabbeted to receive Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive are similar views of a the ledge 21, the lower surfaces of the ledge and more fragmentary nature, illustrating modicalining blocks being flush, and beth being COVeIed tions of the invention. by the temporary lowerlining strip 25. Parting In the drawing we have indicated at 10 a, material 27 is preferably interposed between the fragment of an ingot mold of the big-end-up type. ledge and upper lining 0n the one hand and the In Fig. 1 there is shown a metal casing 11 which 10Wer lining Strip 25 0n the Other. 95 consists of a casting having a plain inner sur- In the construction of Fig. 3 there is a metal face, that is one without an inner integral ledge. Casing 23 having an integral ledge 29. An upper In this embodiment of the invention we provide refractory lining 31 is Supported upon the ledge a separable and replaceable ledge 12 which 1s 29. Prior to each casting operation the rounded annular and preferably in a single piece. It is surface of the ledge 29 is covered with parting 100 removably supported upon the casing by Suitmaterial 30 and thereafter the entire lower 'and able means. In the illustrated case this means inneil Surfaces 0f the hO 130D are Covered with takes the form of pins 13 which extend through a temporary lining element 32 of sheet material, smooth holes in the casing 11 and have threaded preferably metal. We prefer to form this lining inner extremities Which are SCieWed intO tapped in one piece and to insert it into the hot top from holes in the ledge member. This ledge Supports the lower end, and thereafter to bend over intethe upper lining 0f the 110i t0n Which iS illllS- gral lugs or tabs 33 against the upper ends of the trated herein as consisting of two tiers of refraclining elements 31, by means of which the tem- OI'Y blOCkS 14- porary lining is releasably held in position.

At intervals in the lower face of the ledge 12 When the ingot is poured the lining 32 tends to vmetal from entering that joint.

adhere to the ingot, and when the hot top is stripped therefrom the lugs or tabs 33 readily give way.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 is quite similar to that of Fig. 3, but differs in the respect that the temporary lining member 34 extends upwardly only a little way beyond the joint between the ledge 29 and the upper lining elements 31, but far enough to prevent molten The annular lining element 34 is made of `one piece of material, preferably sheet metal, having considerable resilience. It is so formed that when it is pushed into the hot top from the lower end thereof it tends to expand and grip the hot top frictionally. Before it is placed in position however, the operator may cover the inner surface of the lining element 31 and the inner and lower curved surface of the ledge 29 with a suitable parting material 35.

In the construction of Fig. 5 the temporary annular lining element 36, of a form substantially identical with the element 34 of Fig. 4, but not necessarily resilient or in a single piece, is supported by means similar to those illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say the ledge 29 is provided with a series of downwardly opening holes 37 for the reception of plugs 38, and nails or other headed fastenings 39 are driven through the lining 36 into the plugs 38, thereby securely retaining the lining in a temporary fashion.

In Fig. 6, which is similar to Figs. 4 and 5, there is an annular temporary lining element 40 which is supported from the ledge 29 by readily fusible metal plugs 41 which are driven through the lining 4D into holes 42 of suitable size in the ledge 29. When the heat of the moltenA metal strikes the plugs 41 they melt or weaken, and thereby permit the hot top to be readily separated from the lining 40, which adheres to the ingot.

In the foregoing description we have necessarily gone somewhat into detail in order to explain fully the particular embodiments of the invention herein illustrated, but we desire it to be understood that such detail disclosures are not to be construed as amounting to limitations except as they may be included in the appended claims. v h

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a hot top, a lining for the lower end thereof, and means for releasably attaching said lining Vto the hot top comprising plugs set into downwardly opening holes in the lower end of the hot top, said plugs having depending projections adaptedvto support said lining.

2. In a hot top, a lining for the lower end thereof, means for releasably attaching said lining to the hot top comprising plugs set into holes in the lowerv end of the hot top, and headed fastenings extending through said lining into said plugs. v

3. In a hot top, a lining for the lower end thereof, means for releasably attaching said lining to the hot top comprising wooden plugs set into holes in the lower end of the hot top, and headed fastenings extending through said lining into said plugs.

4. In combination, a hot top, a lining for the lower end thereof, said lower end having downwardly opening holes therein at spaced intervals, and means for releasably attaching said lining to the hot top comprising plugs set into said holes, said lining being attached to said plugs and said plugs being adapted to fail when subjected to the heat of the molten metal.

5. In combination, a hot top, a protective lining therefor, and a layer of parting material interposed between said lining and said hot top proper to form a cleavage surface when the hot top is stripped from the ingot.

6. In combination, a hot top, a protective lining therefor, and a coating of plastic parting material interposed between said lining and said hot top proper to form a cleavage surface whenthe hot top is stripped from the the ingot.

7. In a hot top having a lower metallic portion, a lining therefor, means for releasably attaching said lining to said metallic portion adapted to fail when the hot top is stripped from the ingot, and a layer of parting material interposed between said lining and said metallic portion to form a cleavage surface when the hot top is stripped from the ingot.

8. In combination, a hot top, a sheet metal lining therefor extending beneath the lower end of the hot top as a protection against the heat of the molten metal, and a layer of parting material interposed between said lining and said hot top proper to form a cleavage surface when the hot top is stripped from the ingot.

9. In a hot top having a lower metallic portion, a sheet metal lining therefor extending beneath the said metallic portion and up along one side thereof, and a layer of parting material interposed between said lining and said metallic portion to form a cleavage surface when the hot top is stripped from the ingot.

10. In a hot top adapted to extend downwardly into an ingot mold, a casing, lining material covering the lower end thereof adapted to protect the same and facilitate stripping said casing having vertical openings extending upwardly from its lower end surface, and securing means for said lining extending into said openings, said means being adapted to fail when the hot top is stripped from the ingot.

1l. In a hot top, a metal casing having a lower inwardly extending ledge for the support of lining elements, a lower lining covering the inner and lower surfaces of said ledge and the lower end of said casing, said ledge having upwardly extending holes therein spaced around the hot top, and fusible metal fastenings set into said holes, said fastenings being of a size to frictionally engage the walls of said holes when driven through said lower lining into said holes.

WALTER M. CHARMAN. HARRY J. DARLINGTON. 

